Almost 80% of Americans Want a 40 mpg Standard: How About You?

Almost 80% of Americans Want a 40 mpg Standard: How About You?
78% of Americans want Washington to impose a 40 mile per gallon (mpg) fuel-efficiency standard for American vehicles, according to a new Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) national opinion survey released by the nonprofit Civil Society Institute (CSI).

Ninety percent of Americans expect gas prices to rise again “in the near future,” with nearly half (46%) “definitely” expecting a resumption of higher fuel prices.

According to the survey, 70% of Americans say they are factoring “expected future gasoline price increases into consideration in thinking about buying a new vehicle.”Forty-five percent say they are now more likely to buy a “hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle” than they were six months ago, compared to 30% who are unchanged in their plans and 24% who are less likely to make such a vehicle purchase.



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S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/22/2006 12:05:18 PM
+1 Boost
Well, it would be wonderful if there was a car with the performance of a BMW M5, the luxury of an Audi A8L and the mileage of a Toyota Prius.

But some wonders just don't happen, do they?

So I think I'll just have to live with my 17mpg, because luckily, I can afford it.


2JZSoarer2JZSoarer - 11/22/2006 9:05:19 PM
+1 Boost
I agree with you there S4,if you want performance you can't expect 40mpg. My twin turbo Lexus SC300 (2JZ-GTE) gets about 19 mpg city and about 24 highway,but man does it haulass!!


XYZZXYZZ - 11/23/2006 4:41:53 AM
0 Boost
this MAY happen yet!

look at the performance specs of the new Tesla.

imho, the accord and lexus PERFORMANCE hybrids are ONLY the first shots. the packaging mix still needs fine tuning.

imagine an electric motor/battery equivalent to displacement on demand. or nitrous bottles. somewhere, sometime, someone will come up with these enhancements. and/or a performance/economy analog.

i sorta do this NOW, in a non-hybrid. by now and then hitting the hot cam on my VVTi motor, and just driving in gas-miser mode the rest of the time.


BillBill - 11/22/2006 12:14:02 PM
+4 Boost
And we still buy SUV's and then complain about the poor fuel economy? I guess the IQ of the average American has gone down, thanks in part to all the trash we have on TV these days. When I was growing up, education was still a priority.

Sad what has happened to our country.


pchera01pchera01 - 11/22/2006 12:27:39 PM
+5 Boost
I would like to see V-6 get 32mpg or more
V-8 26mpg or more

SUV's fullsize 24mpg or more
with out killing its performance


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/22/2006 1:38:26 PM
+1 Boost
That's a pipedream, my friend.


rockerrocker - 11/22/2006 12:36:52 PM
+2 Boost
I would say that there were misleading questions on that questionaire. Everyone that I know would rather have gas prices go down mainly because they think the oil companies rape us every time we fill up. I would love an SUV, full size truck or high performance car to get 40 mpg but it ain't gonna happen in the near future. And I too do not want to sacrifice performance and a good comfort level.


99gs40099gs400 - 11/22/2006 1:16:16 PM
+3 Boost
GM hummer H2 u hear this ? can u get 40 mpg ?


rockerrocker - 11/22/2006 1:24:22 PM
-1 Boost
What kind of mpg do you get in your '99 gs400?


99gs40099gs400 - 11/22/2006 1:39:31 PM
+2 Boost
28 MPG ON THE HIGHWAY


rockerrocker - 11/22/2006 2:20:08 PM
0 Boost
Then shut up.


mstangpny07mstangpny07 - 11/22/2006 2:20:34 PM
+2 Boost
city?

(probably not too good)


chewychewy - 11/22/2006 3:16:41 PM
+3 Boost
NO, WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT SUVS AND PICKUPS GETTING 14 MPG DON'T GET A FREE PASS. THIS IS GETTING REDICULOUS, MAKE CARS GET 40 MPG WHILE LETTING TRUCKS AND SUVS GET 10. THERE IS STILL NO GAS GUZZLER TAX ON TRUCKS OR SUVS BUT CARS WITH THE SAME FUEL ECONOMY GET BIG GAS GUZZLER TAXES. A GAS GUZZLER TAX ON SUVS AND PICKUPS MUST COME BEFORE ANY HIHGHER MPG REQUIREMENTS. THE HYPOCRACY IS GETTING REDICULOUS.


rockerrocker - 11/22/2006 8:49:58 PM
+3 Boost
SUV's amd trucks usually serve a higher need but there should be a difference. If it is for farm or commercial use, let it go without the gas guzzler. But if it is strictly for personal use then impose the gas guzzler on it.


chewychewy - 11/22/2006 9:21:04 PM
+2 Boost
Too bad that MILLIONS gas guzzling [but not gas guzzler tax paying] SUVs and pickups are used to commute to the cubilce or go buy a toothbrush.


99gs40099gs400 - 11/22/2006 4:21:12 PM
+1 Boost
I am happy with my 28 mpg thank you very much.


rockerrocker - 11/22/2006 6:09:43 PM
0 Boost
But it's not 40 mpg, Lexus can you hear this?


BMW530iBMW530i - 11/22/2006 8:07:37 PM
+2 Boost
Outperform in what? I believe the TDI is quicker. And if it isn't, it certainly strikes me as more fun to drive than the Prius. Fuel saving has never been this much fun with TDI power. ;)


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/23/2006 12:59:08 AM
+1 Boost
Cough-cough-bias-cough-cough...

The Prius doesn't outperform the TDI in anything.


rockerrocker - 11/22/2006 8:47:02 PM
+3 Boost
What company gets 40 mpg across the board? None.


SohoSoho - 11/23/2006 1:45:55 AM
+3 Boost
huu76, what are you smoking? Read this and then come back here: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-06-10-diesel-vs-hybrid_x.htm

oh and read the line about Toyota saying Prius gets ideal mileage going 55mph. Who the HEdoubleL drives 55mph?


XYZZXYZZ - 11/23/2006 4:29:25 AM
-1 Boost
well, my preferred cruising speed is 70 - 75, but what with all the traffic and stop lights, i have to SETTLE for an AVERAGE of about 55. (preferred cruise speed on boulevards between lights).

and i get 40 mpg OVERALL.

(drops when i can indulge my 70 -75-80 all day.)


XYZZXYZZ - 11/23/2006 4:48:30 AM
-1 Boost
i DON'T have a hybrid.

(if i did and used all my gas miser tricks, i estimate i'd regularly get 48 - 56 mpg everyday, and 60 +/- on good days.)


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/23/2006 10:43:05 AM
+1 Boost
What DO you have? An Echo or something?


RupertRupert - 11/23/2006 11:23:19 AM
+2 Boost
40 US mpg?
thats good.
some kind of civic, or that sized car?


XYZZXYZZ - 11/24/2006 2:49:49 AM
+2 Boost
i get that with an ordinary 1.8 corolla le, automatic and tall final gearing.

using all my gas miser tricks, and having the fortune of living in a low traffic density area. (with low traffic enforcement too!)

as much as possible, i drive at a MINIMUM of 45 - 50 mph, where the car shifts from 4th to OD. i do this even on roads posted at 35. (hence advantage of low traffic density.)

i also COAST a lot (with engine idling in N, or in gear and not burning ANY fuel) and minimize use of brakes.




kart1kart1 - 11/23/2006 1:42:24 PM
+3 Boost
I seriously don't want a 40mpg standard if it means I have to drive something like an Aveo.


chewychewy - 11/23/2006 2:52:27 PM
+2 Boost
40 mpg is stupid to mandate for all cars but let SUVs and pickups slide. If anything this article should be 40 mpg for ALL vehicles. [SUVs and pickups as well, just give them 50 hp engines to compinsate for their guzzling] I doubt that 78% of American would like that because over 50% of all vehicles sold here get 14 city and 18 highway. That is 16 mpg average and they don't even pay a gas guzzler tax [but cars with same fuel economy pay 2-3,000 dollars] So this is stupid unless we make sure that over 50% of vehicles sold aren't allowed to guzzle while the rest are subjected to insane fines and mpg standards.


RupertRupert - 11/23/2006 3:48:54 PM
+4 Boost
i agree!
why should say a v6 camry have a gas guzzler tax when the highlander, based off the camry, not?
why should an escalade get away with 13 mpg town and 20 highway? just 15.5 overall? why america, why? why the overkill with a 6.2 litre v8?? give it a 3.5! make it smaller, lighter, more fuel efficient! and tax the hell out of it if it doesn't!


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/23/2006 10:22:54 PM
+1 Boost
The American engineers aren't efficient. Why do you think 99% of the Americans on this website drive foreign cars? We know they suck!

And really, they don't do "6.2 liter v8" on purpose. They just can't get 400hp out of anything smaller, at least N/A.


XYZZXYZZ - 11/24/2006 2:58:11 AM
+3 Boost
simplest solution would be to TAX fuel so it costs $4 - $8/gallon like on the rest of the planet. see how fast even detroit whips out fuel efficient vehicles then.

but this would be political suicide in america. we whine when gas goes up a nickel/gallon. no gov't body can raise fuel taxes without stirring up the ole 'merican REVOLUTIONARY spirit.


chewychewy - 11/24/2006 4:48:49 PM
+1 Boost
No we should only tax the gas guzzlers like SUVs and pickups (sport sedans/sport cars are already taxed) 4-8 dollar gasoline would hurt everyone not the guitly ones.


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/25/2006 12:48:08 AM
-1 Boost
I think luxury tax is a little cruel. I had a friend whose heart was set on a red Range Rover Sport HSE. She was going to buy it loaded- $67K, I think. She had a maroon BMW X5 3.0i then, and of course, loved the RR for its looks. Land Rover was making them pay an $8,000 luxury tax! Her husband wouldn't stand by and pay $75,000 for a truck that would probably break down. Now she's stuck with a sell-out '06 X5 3.0i, albeit slightly better equipped than her last one. But it's in a boring color (grey/grey), and she hates it.
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